1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mobile communication system and a method for managing signaling messages via the system. More particularly, the invention relates to a method that manages signaling climate data records (CDR) in a network in order to charge for signaling messages transmitted by user equipment, and to a mobile communication system adapted to the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of wireless communication technology, Machine Type Communication (MTC) is attracted in variety of fields in such a way that it is applied to metering devices. A typical example of the metering device is an electricity meter. The electricity meter is designed to include a communication module. In that case, the electricity meter manager can receive/transmit data from/to the electricity meter or manage it in wireless communication. The metering device may also be gas meters, water meters, etc. MTC may also be applied to logistics.
MTC are mainly applied to metering devices that measure physical quantities that users have used, such as electricity, water, gas, etc., and transmit the measured quantities to them once per a preset period of time. The data size of a metering device is less than that of data communication devices, such as a mobile device, a computer, etc. In addition, the use frequency of a metering device is less than that of data communication devices, such as a mobile device, a computer, etc. On the contrary, metering devices transmits signaling messages more frequent than the data communication devices. If a number of metering devices are connected to a network, they increase load of a core network.
Service providers want to charge for signaling messages of MTC devices as they have charged for data packets. However, conventional mobile communication systems are designed to charge for only data packets that communication devices used, and not equipped with a function for charging for signaling messages. Therefore, a method is required to charge for signaling messages that MTC devices transmitted.